Reports indicate that the Japanese government’s demand for Naver to divest its stake in LY Corp. has spurred a surge in LINE app installations in Korea. Concerns about potential Japanese control over LINE are driving heightened interest in the messaging platform.
According to Mobile Index, new LINE app installations in Korea totaled 58,346 during the first week of May, marking the highest figure since August of last year, when installations peaked at 59,728. This uptick follows two instances of administrative guidance issued by the Japanese government to LY Corp.
LINE’s popularity is also on the rise on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. It ranks higher than KakaoTalk and Telegram in the social networking category of the Apple App Store, and holds the third position on the Google Play Store, trailing KakaoTalk and Snapchat.
Comments on LINE app reviews reflect sentiments such as “LINE is clearly a Korean company,” “Fighting, LINE Korea,” and “Don’t hand it over to Japan.” The LY Corp. issue appears to be fueling a public opinion battle between Korea and Japan, with political figures voicing opposition to Naver’s sale of LY Corp. shares. Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk even visited Dokdo on May 13 to protest the government’s handling of the situation.
